YARMOUTH — Street closings will begin Nov. 17 as reconstruction of the Route 1 bridge gets underway.

According to the town, Main Street will close at 10 p.m. and reopen Nov. 21 at 4 a.m. During that time, crews will be working around the clock to demolish parts of the bridge and haul away debris.

There will be no pedestrian or motor vehicle access to Main Street directly under the bridge during the weekend. An alternate route for pedestrians and bicyclists will be identified and drivers will be guided through detours.

Those traveling westbound on Main Street will be directed to take U.S. Route 1 northbound to East Main Street, then North Road to East Elm Street.

Those traveling eastbound will be directed to take Route 1 southbound to Portland Street.

Route 1 will remain open during the Main Street closure and drivers will still be able to access Route 1 from Main Street via York and School streets.

The town was notified by Maine Department of Transportation in 2014 about the need to replace or rebuild the Route 1 bridge due to its age.

On Feb. 2, 2017, the Town Council approved the plan for the new bridge, designed by an advisory committee of citizens, town staff, consulting engineers, business owners, and members of the Bike and Pedestrian Committee.

Funded by MDOT, the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System, and the town, the $4.1 million project is expected to be completed by November 2018. The municipality’s share – roughly $321,000 – comes from the town’s economic development fund and does not impact the town’s budget or general fund.

It is hoped the new bridge will be safer for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians while blending into the village aesthetic. It will include a 5-foot paved sidewalk on Route 1’s east side and a new 10-foot multi-use path on its west. New lighting, railings and illuminated crosswalks will be installed to ensure safety.

The new bridge will also have an extra foot of clearance underneath on Main Street – up to 15 feet 6 inches from 14 feet 7 inches.

Throughout the year of construction, two lanes of Main Street traffic will be maintained at all times except during weekend closures – such as those from Nov. 17-20. All construction will be suspended during the 2018 Clam Festival from July 19-23.

Jocelyn Van Saun can be reached at 781-3661, ext. 183 or jvansaun@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter @JocelynVanSaun.

Reconstruction of the U.S. Route 1 overpass in Yarmouth is scheduled to begin Nov. 17.

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